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Thread-Topic: NLM's TOXMAP adds new chemical and health data
Thread-Index: AcZG3xAdYL9fLaDhQZKxPCurFzsSxw==
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Date:         Mon, 13 Mar 2006 15:45:28 -0500
Reply-To:     NLM TOXENVLIST <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       NLM Toxicology/Environmental Health Update
              <[log in to unmask]>
From:         NLM TOXENVLIST <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      NLM's TOXMAP adds new chemical and health data


In response to feedback from users, the National Library of Medicine
(NLM) has added new chemical and health-related data to its interactive
mapping site, TOXMAP (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov).
Released in September, 2004, TOXMAP helps users explore the geographic
distribution of certain chemical releases, their relative amounts, and
their trends over time. This release data comes from industrial
facilities around the United States, as reported annually to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 
Now, users can also use TOXMAP to find information about Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund sites and substances. The Superfund
program (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/index.htm)
<http://www.epa.gov/superfund/index.htm>  is part of a federal
government effort to clean up land in the United States that has been
contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA
(http://www.epa.gov/) <http://www.epa.gov/>  as a candidate for cleanup
because it poses a risk to human health and/or to the environment. 
The substances found at Superfund sites have been designated as causing
or contributing to an increase in mortality or in irreversible or
incapacitating illness, or posing a substantial present or potential
hazard to human health or to the environment when improperly treated,
stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed. More than 800
(http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/er/hazsubs/cercsubs.htm)
substances are currently designated as hazardous, and many more as
potentially hazardous.
TOXMAP has also added mortality data from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as
well as age and gender data from the US Census, and income data from the
Bureau of Economic Analysis.
TOXMAP links to NLM's extensive collection of toxicology and
environmental health references, as well as to a rich resource of data
on hazardous chemical substances in its TOXNET databases
(http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/). The resource also provides fact sheets and
summaries about the various chemicals, written by the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, and EPA progress reports on the
Superfund sites.
Since many users may not be experienced in reading maps or understanding
map data, TOXMAP provides a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
(http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/faq.jsp) and a "Glossary of
Terms" (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/help/glossary.jsp). Both
resources attempt to provide questions/answers to supplement the user's
ability to understand the map displays and the data. 
More information about TOXMAP can be found at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/toxmap.html.



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